Leaving Early For The NFL

It is common knowledge that Barkley, and not Ryan Tannehill, would have been the third quarterback taken in last year's draft if he hadn't decided to play his senior season at USC.

Instead of chasing the $12.6 million Tannehill was guaranteed as the No. 8 pick, instead of moving his football career forward, Barkley pursued an NCAA championship and it turned into a horrible business decision.

His Trojans belly-flopped, his throwing shoulder got injured and now he's fighting to maintain his status as a first-round NFL prospect.

Barkley has likely lost millions, following in the footsteps of Matt Leinart, another USC quarterback whose draft stock plummeted in his senior season.

The mistake Barkley made was failing to seize the day, jump on an opportunity to cash in on his collegiate success.

Because of the NFL's new economic climate, which features a suffocating wage scale for rookies, especially those outside the first round, any draftable prospect who isn't leaving school early to become a pro might be wasting time and money.

Most Miami Hurricanes cried foul when Olivier Vernon passed up his final year of eligibility to enter the draft. The Dolphins selected the athletic but raw pass rusher in the third round and paid him a $638,000 signing bonus and his $390,000 rookie salary.

Instead of working to improve his draft stock at Miami, Vernon took his million to the bank.

"It was time for me to go," said Vernon, who contributed 31 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a role player. "My situation was different, and everyone's situation is different. I wanted to do something else. There were different coaches, it wasn't the same. It was time for me to move on."

When you subtract the signing bonuses, that $390,000 base salary should serve as the new baseline for what a college player's senior season is worth financially.

Might explain why a record-setting 74 underclassmen declared early this year, which eclipses the previous record of 65, set in the 2012 NFL draft, which broke the record set the year before that. And NFL insiders expect the number of underclassmen migrating to the NFL to continue climbing.

Tight end Jordan Reed, who left the Florida Gators early despite not having a first- or second-round projection, openly admitted starting his NFL clock earlier was a deciding factor.

"The faster I can help my mom out, making her life easier, the quicker I wanted to do it," said Reed, whose brother David Reed is a receiver for the Ravens. "She's been working hard at her job for 25 years now."

Reed's dream is to earn enough money to help her retire. He'll have to wait a little to do it, though.

Considering the NFL's big money now comes on a player's second contract — if he can get to it — the sooner and younger players are when they get there the better. That's what many agents are selling, and it is factual in most cases.

Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith earned $3.2 million during the four years of the rookie deal he received as a second-round pick in 2009. As a four-year starter, Smith, an unrestricted free agent, might double that whole contract in the first year of his next deal.

This is the new economic model of the post-lockout NFL, which features a CBA contract that encourages players to get to their second deal.

The sooner these underclassmen start that NFL clock, the better off they are because of age and injury factors. It was the main factor that encouraged Dolphins tailback Lamar Miller to leave Miami, where he played a full season with a separated shoulder, and enter last year's draft. It also pushed Michigan State tailback Le'Veon Bell into the 2013 draft.

"This has always been my dream since I first started playing football," said Bell, who rushed for 1,793 yards and 12 touchdowns on a whopping 382 carries as a junior.

"It is right there," said Bell, who is projected as a mid-round draft prospect. "I'm ready and I feel like it is my time."

The time for most of the NCAA's rising stars to depart early is coming because the NFL and its pay-for-play approach is calling.